We have good news about liability and medical insurance coverage for sanctioned tournaments. An increasing number of potential tournament venues are requiring that they be named as additional insureds on liability insurance policies to protect them from lawsuits by injured participants. For a single tournament, that coverage typically costs the tournament director approximately $600. Therefore, the high cost of insurance has become prohibitive for many tournaments, limiting the number of tournaments and inhibiting the growth of our sport.

The USAPA has recently purchased insurance that will provide the required liability coverage for all USAPA-sanctioned tournaments in the U.S. and Canada, so long as the tournament director receives advance sanctioning approval from the USAPA, follows USAPA rules, and fills out the requisite form for transmittal to our insurance carrier.

In addition, all U.S. and Canadian USAPA members will receive secondary accident insurance up to $25,000 for medical expenses ,with a $1,000 deductible,for injuries incurred while playing in a sanctioned tournament.

To help defray the significant cost of this insurance, the USAPA has instituted a tournament sanctioning fee based on the following schedule:
Tier 4 - $50
Tier 3 - $75
Tier 2 - $100
Tier 1 - $125
For most tournaments, the fee will amount to less than $1 per player. The fee will apply to all tournaments that are sanctioned from July 1, 2010 forward. Tournaments that have already been sanctioned will not be subject to the fee but may still receive the benefits of this insurance coverage. The fee must be paid prior to receiving sanctioning. A form must be filled out for each tournament by the tournament director and sent either to the USAPA or to its insurance broker in advance of the tournament date. Details may be found in the sanctioning section of the USAPA website.

We have heard the requests for help on this critical issue from a number of tournament directors across the country and are pleased that we are able to offer this needed service at such a reduced rate. We hope that the availability of insurance coverage will encourage and enable more tournament directors to hold more sanctioned tournaments at the venue of their choice. We are committed to do what we can to further the growth and reach of this wonderful sport.

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